Grendel

Large fiend, chaotic evil

Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
Hit Points 147 (14d10 + 48)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
21 (+5)	15 (+2)	20 (+5)	8 (-1)	14 (+2)	8 (-1)

Saving Throws Strength +9, Constitution +9
Skills Perception +6, Stealth +6
Damage Vulnerabilities thunder
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Common, Infernal
Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)

Special Traits

• Ambusher. In the first round of a combat, the grendel has advantage on attack rolls against any creature it surprised.
• Bloodthirsty Frenzy. The grendel has advantage on attack rolls against frightened creatures.
• Horrific Appearance. Any humanoid that starts its turn within 30 feet of the grendel and can see it form must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if the grendel is within line of sight, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the grendel’s Horrific Appearance for the next 24 hours. Unless the target is surprised, the target can avert its eyes and avoid making the initial saving throw. Until the start of its next turn, a creature that averts its eyes has disadvantage on attack rolls against the grendel.
• Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the grendel can take the Hide action as a bonus action.

Actions

• Multiattack. The grendel makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d12 + 5) piercing damage.
• Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage. If the target is a creature, the target is grappled (escape DC 17). The grendel has two claws. While a claw grapples a target, the claw can attack only that target. When the grendel moves, any Medium or smaller target it is grappling moves with it.
• Swallow. The grendel makes one bite attack against a Medium or smaller target it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target is swallowed, and the grapple ends. The swallowed target is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the grendel, and it takes 10 (3d6) acid damage at the start of each of the grendel’s turns. The grendel can have only one target swallowed at a time. If the grendel dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse using 5 feet of movement, exiting prone.

Reactions

• Bloody Rampage. When the grendel takes damage, it makes one attack with its claws against a random creature within its reach.

About

This horrific, hulking beast is only barely humanoid, with large claws, warty skin, and a terrifying visage.

A whirlwind of teeth and claws, grendels are spawned by ketta and used by them to exact revenge upon all that is good. As fiends, they have an innate hatred of song and revelry; the grendel particularly so. It strikes in the dead of night, murdering as many humanoids as it can, greedily gulping down those it can eat quickly and carrying off any others for devouring later. These victims are shared with the ketta that spawned it, and in this regard the grendel regards the ketta as its “mother.”